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Knit Knotes

Technical Handbook

Setting up

Select preferred yarns from collection. The yarns must not be too thick or they won’t go through the first year machines. The yarn roll should preferably be quite small as it is harder for the yarn to unravel if it is larger. This can cause a strain on the work when knitting if not recovered. Put yarns you’re wanting to use behind the machine, under the eyelet holes.

Send the yarn through the bottom back eyelets, fit into the secure channel, through the front eyelets and then up to the antenna. Tie end of the yarn onto the handle under the knit machine. Cast the yarn onto the machine, then clip it into the carriage.

Casting on

If starting from the left of the prongs, put yarn in front of needle and then create ‘e’ shape around the prong. This is in a clockwise motion. If starting from the right of the prongs, use same idea and bring yarn in front of the needle (on the left) and loop back on yourself.

Set the tension to 6 when beginning on the machine and if knitting then set carriage to ‘N’ not ‘H’. H will only not knit on the machine when the prongs are brought forwards.

Beginning knit

Once the piece is cast onto the machine, bring all relevant prongs forwards. Bring carriage across and repeat until about 5-6 rows of knit are done. Then add weights to the outer corner of the knit to secure it onto the needles. Once the weights are on, the needles do not need to be brought forwards to knit.

Two colours

Set both colours onto the two sides of the knit machine. You can have two colours set up at once, no need to use them at same time but saves setting up every time. When not using the colour, tie to the bottom of the machine and then get yarn out of carriage by resting on edge of table.

Changing colours

if changing colours between two, bring carriage to the side of the existing yarn in carriage. Take the yarn out of the carriage and rest on the correct side of the machine, out of the way of the carriage. Then set machine to H so it does not knit and bring carriage across to the colour you want to use. Clip yarn into the carriage, no need to cast on just knit. If you want two colours at once, then leave both in the carriage. You can just pick up a new colour and knit without needing to cast on.

Three colours

Snap the colour of yarn you do not want to use anymore (or the one you want to temporarily replace). Make sure to snap the yarn at the base, then tie on the new colour of yarn and pull it through the machine until you can tie it at the base and put into the carriage.

Layering colour

If you want to incorporate a thick yarn or layer another colour or textured piece onto the top, put yarn on floor beside you. There is no need to put this third colour through the knit machine, it can just be connected to the piece itself. Tie this yarn onto the handle as well but do not put into the carriage. Cast this colour onto the needles when they have been brought forwards, then bring carriage across and it will be knit into the fabric. This could be hard to do if the yarn is really thick so have on a low tension setting (10).

Adding columns to existing size

Bring prongs on the edge of your knitting forwards and cast onto them using the ‘e’ formation. Do not need to bring prongs of existing knit forwards every time as it is weighted already. When the extra columns are long enough, add weights to the edge of the knit as this is the part that gets tangled in the machine.

Reduce the size of the knit

Use the tool to pick up the stitches that you do not want anymore. Lift them in front of the prongs on the machine and onto the needle inside the one you just took off. Do not get the stitch looped behind the prong as this will cause it to get caught here. Bring carriage across when stitches have been adjusted.

Selective knit

If you want to only add knit to a specific area, set the carriage to H. This means it will not stitch if the needles are brought forwards. So only bring the needles forwards if you DO NOT want to knit that area.

To create a sock triangle, one by one, bring needles forwards and then bring carriage across, it will end up wonky but if done in the opposite manner, it will even out and give a design effect.

Laddering

Move individual loops from the needle onto surrounding needles. If you move the knit over, then the empty needle will create a gap in the knit. This done repeatedly in an organised way will create a structural pattern. To create holes during this design, bring the needles that sit at the back (not like the ones brought forwards) need to be brought to the front to close the stitch back up.

Sew knits together

If there is already a knit on the machine, line up the knit you want to stitch to it. Then hook this knit onto the needles on the machine. Make sure the knits are facing front to front. Then bring carriage across the top of the knits. This may be difficult due to the thickness of the piece.

Creating flaps on the piece

To create a flap on one side of the fabric or a rouched appearance on the floor, pick up stitches from further down the knitting. Depending on how big you want the flap to be, take from a further way down for larger. Hook the stitch back onto the needle, knitting the rows further down to the existing row. This can be done in a different colour to create a coloured flap.

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